UEFA keeps European teams out of FIFA tournaments as Infantino dispute continues

UEFA has reaffirmed that European national teams will continue to boycott competitions organised by FIFA, saying the conditions required to end the policy have not been met.

In a statement issued after FIFA released its own message, European football’s governing body also repeated that it had lost confidence in FIFA president Gianni Infantino. UEFA, led by Aleksander Ceferin, said its position on both the boycott and FIFA’s leadership remained unchanged.

The clarification followed a FIFA meeting in Rabat and a subsequent explanatory message sent to all 211 national associations. According to Spanish newspaper AS, UEFA used that communication to restate its opposition to European teams taking part in FIFA-run tournaments.

In a memorandum sent to AS, UEFA recalled the conditions its member associations had set for ending their non-participation in FIFA competitions.

“UEFA associations have been clear about the conditions for not participating in FIFA competitions,” UEFA said.

“First, the proposals aimed at privatising the major competitions had to be withdrawn. Secondly, guarantees had to be provided that such attempts to distort the game would never happen again.”

The organisation said neither requirement had been fulfilled.

“These conditions have not been met,” UEFA added.

UEFA also referred to a statement it issued on Saturday, in which it said it had unequivocally lost confidence in Infantino’s presidency. The organisation said that assessment remained in place.

It further dismissed a declaration made the previous day which said that some people working for the FIFA president supported him.

“Furthermore, UEFA made it unequivocally clear in its statement issued on Saturday that it had lost confidence in the presidency of Infantino. This position still stands,” the statement said.

“As for yesterday’s announcement, stating that certain people working for the FIFA president and whose careers depend on his approval support him, it changes nothing.”

The latest message means UEFA is maintaining its existing position despite FIFA’s meeting in Rabat and the follow-up communication to national associations. European football’s governing body has not indicated that the dispute has been resolved or that its conditions have been accepted.

Its stance remains centred on two demands: the withdrawal of proposals it believes would privatise major competitions, and firm assurances that future efforts to “distort the game” will not be repeated.

Until those demands are met, UEFA says European national teams will not take part in tournaments organised by FIFA. It has also made clear that its disagreement extends beyond competition proposals, with its lack of confidence in Infantino continuing to form part of the dispute.